Type action system for typewriters



P 1952 o. HAAS ETA]; 2,611,469

TYPE ACTION SYSTEM FOR TYPEWRITERS Filed Feb. 4, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet l 73/9 MWEVTQRs J 052? Aha/o,

Sept. 23, 1952 s ET AL 2,611,469

TYPE ACTION SYSTEM FOR TYPEWRITEIRS Filed Feb. 4, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 23, 1952 o. HAAS ETAL TYPE ACTION SYSTEM FOR TYPEWRITERS 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Feb. 4, 1948 Sept. 23, 1952 o. HAAS ET AL 2,611,469

TYPE ACTION SYSTEM FOR TYPEWRITERS Filed Feb. 4, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Sept. 23, 1952 o, HAAS EI'AL TYPE ACTION SYSTEM FOR 'fYPEWRITERS Filed Feb. 4, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 KW, WI

Patented Sept. 23, 1 952 1 TYPE ACTION SYSTEM FOR TYPEWRITERS- Y L OttojHaas, Balzers, Tony Schaedler, Triesenberg,

and Leon Schneider, Balzers, Liechtenstein, as-

L" signerstoAnstaltRenor, Vaduz, Liechtenstein r r. Application-February 4,1948, SerialNo. 6,166 1 I 'In Switzerland February 4, 1947 I Our present invention relatesjto improvements in a typewriter. havingfanfinclined segment for pivotably supporting'and guidingthe type-levers, and a conventional four-row keyboard.

It is an object "of our invention to providea machine of simple structure and positive and reliable operation by interlinl:ing, the key-levers with the type-levers without intermediate levers, and by so arranging thekey levers that their outswinging arms are bent oft; i. e..out' of their planes, and at an increasing rate from the vertical median plane of themachine toward the sides, in the direction of the type-lever bearingslots. The rate of bending or angular deflection so depends upon the slope of thesegment, the position of the type-lever bearing-slots, and upon the associated plane 'of swing of the key-lever that the outswinging ends of the latter move in the plane of their respective type-lever bearingslots. I Q

It is a further object oi our invention to sub stantially simplify the spacing-mechanism by mounting the actuating racker on) the spac- Zillaims. (Cl. 19727) ing bridge, and by adapting the said rocker so as to also actuate theink-ribbon mechanism feed and lift. f

A still further object of our invention is to substantially simplify the paper ieedby pressing the paper guicleon which an engaging roller and a. paper guiding roller areimounted -uni versally movably onto'the platen by means of a spring which in the medianplane and intermediate of the said cylinders engages the said guide.

The latter is pivoted ontwo slides whichare disposed slidably on the sidewalls'of thecarriage,

and the said slides are adjustable against the action of said spring forthe purpose of lifting the said guide off theplaten,

It has proved diflicult to attain-'-in a machine of the characteroutlined above- -a light operatingtouch or tapin connection with as'ufiicient copying momentum and a high speed of writing.

In accord with our present invention, further, such latter difiiculty'shall be overcome byyirtue of the following arrangement. Each "key lever is directly coupled to. its appurtenant type-lever by means of a short link. When thekeys are successively depressed, the links pivot points of the key-levers are situated on a spatial curve.. A straight line in space, which passes through the points of intersection of the pairs of tangents which are situated symmetricallyto each other on the pivotal or coupling points of the depressed key-leversincludes with the plane of the segment a certain critical angle which may be analytically derived. 4 n i I One form of our invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 shows a top plan view,

ings of a pedestal 2 which is securedtot tom plate 3. The latter at the same tim iorms Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section, v i

Fig. 3 is a schematical top plan viewof the type action,

Fig. 4 is a side View of Fig. 3', v Fig. 5 is a vertical section on line Y' V of i Fig. 6 is a perspective view of, the escapeinent mechanism of the spacing-mechanism, including the rocker, theink ribbon mechanism and'the ribbon vibrator, as seen from the paper carriage,

Fig. '7 is an elevation of the 'paper 'feed ing I guiding arrangement, I Figs. 8-10 each show an end viewbfFiglfi in three difierentpositions, J I v N i Fig. 11 shows a system of spatial'co-ordiii es, including planes of reference, and,

Fig. 12 illustrates schematicallyt testing";

arrangement and disposition of the harfaction' As shown in Figs. 1-5, the key-leversfi are'supfported, with a V-notch-each, in open slot-bear h botthe machine irame, and tension springs 'j'fi pull the ,key levers l downward against their bear ings. Each key-lever I' isarticulated'to a typelever ,fi-through a wire link 5. The type-levers ii are guided inslots of the inclined stationary, segment 1, as well known, and borne for rotation on a wire axle 8. The type-levers--froni the centre of thesegment toward both sides-are.made1of gradually increasing length, and thewiret correspondingly so curved that all'the' type- -levers strike from their position of. rest. upward against a point situated in close proximity, of the central guide 9. The type-lever axle 8 is inserted into the bearing-groove provided on the underside of segment i, through the bores in the endportioris keyboard, upon the inclination of the shanks of the key-levers I relative :to the vertical median plane of the machine (such inclinationis'illustrated in Fig. 5.,by the bearing-slots of pedestal 2 as increasing in a direction towardtheends of the latter), and upon the angular benddf the key-levers I as seen in plan in lfwhi fibend also increasesin a directiontowardtheends of. pedestal 2. Such inclination and bend allow the inner ends of the key-levers (which serve for actuating the type-levers) to swing inf thepl'anes of throw of their appurtenant type-leversl The different angles of bend of the keyf-leversjthus depend upon the inclinatio-n offthe type lever bearing structure or, segment" 'l;' the pcsiti'onof the plane of the type-lever beari lot an the individual appurtenant position of the plane of swing of the key-levers in such degree that the swinging key-lever inner ends move in the planes of their respective type-lever bearing-slots.

Since the wire links 5 all are of equal length, the key-lever inner ends (which are gradually bent oif in plan from the centre of the machine toward the two sides) also have to be gradually bent up in elevation in the direction from the centre of the machine toward the two sides in accord with the guiding-slots in the segment I. At the same time, the length of the bent-oil inner ends of the key-levers has to be gradually increased in the said direction. All the points of support of the key-levers l are situated in a horizontal plane (see Figs. 2 and 5), the position of which depends upon the slope of segment I. The same holds true for the points of bend of the key-levers As seen from Figs. 1, 2 and 6, a bridge H is secured to the bottom plate 3 of the machine and supports the inclined segment I as well as an axle pin H on which the escapement ratchet wheel |3 (Fig. 2) and the pinion l2 fixed to the latter are rotatably mounted. The rocket I5 is pivoted on the pointed screws Hi to the side lugs of the bridge H, and is held in a predetermined position by means of a spring (Fig. 6). The universal bar I is guided, in a manner known, by

means of a guide arm l8 so as to be movable in a plane. The said universal bar II), by means of a pin l0 on each side, is pivoted in two side lugs of the rocker so that he latter, by the action of a type-lever 6 on the universal bar I0, is rocked, thereby bringing the pawl H, which is fixed to rocker l5, into engagement with the escasement h el. 3-

A toothed rack (only shown in Figs. 1 and 2), secured to the paper carriage, is engaged by the pinion |2. The latter and the ratchet wheel l3 fixed thereto, tend to rotate clockwise by virtue of the unidirectional spring tension acting on the paper carriage. Owing to the cooperation of the movable pawl 22which is biased by the spring 2| and mounted, through a pin-and-slot guidingarrangement,'on the front side of the rocker l5 and the pawl l9 which is fixed to the said rocker |5, the pinion I2 is driven clockwise step by step.

The rocker l5, further, is provided with two outrigger-arms 23, on theends of which movable pawls 25 are mounted. The latter are each biased by a spring 24, and co-act with an inkribbon feeding-wheel 26. The pawls 25 may be thrown into and out of engagement, in a manner known per se, during operation of the typewriter by virtue of a reversal through the ink-ribbon tension.

The ink-ribbon israised by means of the fork 21 which guides the ink-ribbon past the central type-guide 9. The fork 21 is pivoted on a pin 31' to .the lower portion 28 (Fig. 2) of the carriage, and is biased by a spring 29 (Fig. 6) When the rocker-l5 is rocked, the fork 21 is rocked also in order to raise or lower the ink-ribbon.

As seen from Figs. 1 and 2. the spacing-key strap 30 is actuated from outside the keyboard, the said strap being pivoted at 3| in two lateral upright lugs of the bottom plate 3. The two linkages 32, which are articulated to the outer ends of the outswinging arms of the said strap 30, are each connected to a bell-crank 33, which latter is engaged in a longitudinal slot of the said pawl 25 through a nose and is fulcrumed in a slot of the ribbon-spool axle 34.

When the spacing-key strap 30 is actuated, the bell-crank 33 first is drawn outwardly in its bearing slot by the linkage 32, the pawl 25 (which is subjected to a slight spring tension) being disengaged from the wheel 26. The bell-crank 33 then is rocked on the axle pin 34, entraining the pawl 25 which further actuates the rocker l5 and thus releases the spacing-mechanism without actuating the ink-ribbon feed.

In the paper-feed device shown in Figs. 7-10, a pressure or engaging-roller 42 and a plurality of paper guide-rollers 43 are pivoted to the paper guide apron'4| so that the said rollers are parallel to each other. An axle pin 45 is borne for rotation in lateral lugs 44 of apron 4| and intermediate of the said rollers 42, 43, and is guided in slots 46 of the sidewall 41 of the upper carriage 48 of the typewriter. The said slots 46 are disposed radially with respect to the axle 49 of the platen 50 so that the pin 45 is movable toward and away from the latter. The axle pin 45, further, is mounted on each end in a slide 5|. The slides 5| are each guided on a bearingbush 53 by means ofa slot 52, which bush is pressed into the sidewall 41. The two slides 5| thus are guided and displaceable on the bushes 53 along the sidewalls 41 of the upper carriage 48. A spring 54 which at one end is secured to carriage 48, engages the axle pin 45 in the middle thereof, The paper guide apron 4| is universally movable about the point of engagement of spring 54 so that the rollers 42, 43 over their entire lengths are. pressed against the platen 50 under uniform pressure. Lateral bearing-portions of a paper-clamping strap 55, which portions are formed as levers and interconnected by a cross bar, are rotatably mounted on the sidewalls 48 of the upper carriage, and each is provided with a downwardly projecting dog 55 for the purpose ,of co-acting with the slides 5|. When the lever 55 is swung upward from the position shown in Fig. 8 into that of Fig. 9, the introduced sheet of writing paper is only slipped underneath. The paper sheet or sheets are introduced between the guide apron 4| and the platen 50 in the fully open position of the clamping-device, a shown in Fig. 10. The strap 55 then is fully depressed so as to firmly clamp the sheet or sheets to the platen 5|) which then is rotated to take the sheet or sheets along. In order to permit of slipping the latter underneath the cross-bar interconnecting the two levers 55, one of the latter is slightly raised from the position shown in Fig. 8 into that of Fig. 9, whereupon the said sheet or sheets are properly positioned, if required, and the lever 5 again depressed into the position shown in Fig. 8. It is to be, noted that in the position of Fig. 9 the dog 56 does not yet operatively engage the slide 5| nor the apron 4| and the appurtenant clamping elements.

As shown in Fig. 11, the plane of segment 1, i. e, o, is inclined at the angle a with respect to the base plane 1r1. A right-hand system of coordinates X', Y, Z is set up in the plane 0', wherein the positive X-axis is so aligned that it points to the left for' the operator, and the positive Y-axis passes through base plane 111 at point D1 and coincides with the line of intersection of a plane of symmetry m which is parallel to the plane of elevation 12, and the plane a.

The fulcra of the type-levers are situated in segment-plane 0'; when connecting these points by a line, we obtain a curve, the pivotal axis of the type-levers. Such latter axis is related to the system of axes X, Y in a with the origin in (Fig. 11), and the following analytical ex pression is obtained therefor:

Since the machine is built symmetrical to the plane of symmetry 1r2 the said pivotal axis in 0' also comprises two curve-branches which are situated symmetrical to the ordinate-axis Y.

Expressing the curvature K in terms of the function y=F(9:), we obtain from the relation Each type-lever has an extension reaching beyond its fulcrum. Such extension is pivoted at its end, as a crank of the size 1', on a link of length l. The end of each linkis articulated to the respective key-lever which is fulcrumed. When the key is depressed, the segment I is intersected by the type-lever in a normal plane, and each coupling point is situated in the respective plane which in o" is normal to the said pivotal axis of the type-levers. that, when the key-levers are depressed, all the pivot points between links and key-levers are interconnected in their terminal position by a line, there results a spatial curve which is If we imagine assumed to be continuous; the equations of its projections on the X-Y and the X-Z planes are considered to be predetermined.

and the curve 5? is considered to bev produced as the'intersection of the projecting cylinders which stand at right angles on these two planes.

In the following, the equations of the tangents for the terminal coupling points, which are disi a posed symmetrical to the plane of symmetry, namely the right-hand terminal point Pi (:m', yi, 2i) and the left-hand terminal point Qk($k, 111;, zk), as Well as for the points nearest the plane of symmetry 1r2 namely Reuse, ye, 2e)

and Sm(xm, ym, zm) to the right and left respectively of the spatial curve 5%, shall be computed.

Designating the directional cosines of tire tangent at point Pi of curve it by Obi, pi, vi, and

introducing any three numbers A, B, C which differ from the latter only by a common positive factor so that may have any value, and at least one of the numbers A, B, C is difierent from zero, we have For the numbers A, B, C we then may write:

In the same w'ay'we obtain, with (8a,b,c)

at point Qk($k- Since the coefficient determinant of the four equations of the two straight lines (1) and (8), written in the form aa:+by+cz+d=0 identically disappears, the said lines intersect. Eliminating the parameter 1? from the Equations 7 and 9, one first obtains from the two equations The co-ordinate so of the point of intersection P0 is obtained from the solution of the equations For the equations of the tangents at the points I Refine, ye, 26) and S m-(mm, ym, am) we first obtain with the values Z=1, =j' me); 6=g(xe) for the equations of the tangent at point Re, and with the values 1'=1; "=f'(a:m),

E=g(xm) for the equations of the tangent at point Sm-with the aid of a parameter t two equations, as above After eliminating the parametert, the following two equations are obtained from the Equations 14a, c and 15a, c for computing the coordinate 20 of point P:

From the Equations 18a, 1) we obtain the following value for the co-ordinate 20' I When drawing a straight line f=w+bt (19) through the two points of intersection Po and P0 of the two pairs of tangentsfor'the purpose of characterising the kinematics-the said line will be situated in the plane of symmetry 12 owing to the "symmetry of the appurtenant points of tangent Pi, Qk, and Re, Sm, since their points of intersection have identical abscissavalues.

The said straight line (19) includes the following angle with the plane of the segment zu I z/,, (20) whereby the values entering into Equation 20 are to be taken from the Equations 11b, 13, 17b and 180.

Expressing the co-ordinates of any point Bi of the coupling link in Figs. 1, 2 and 4) by the kinematic angles ai, Bi with respect to the plane 0' (Fig. 12), and the normal n2, down to its point of intersection with the ordinate-axis Y in o', by the derivation of the pivotal axis y==F(.r) and the co-ordinate E, m of the point of intersection of the said line m with the curve y=F(a:), we put 0 tan In these latter expressions, r denotes the crank radius, i. e. the type-lever extension which projects beyond the fulcrum up to the pivot of the link 5. The letter Z denotes the length of the latter in the Equations 21. The co-ordinates xi, yi belong to that point to which the normal to the pivotal axis of the' function y=F(:c) points. The length cut off the ordinate-axis Y by the normal ni, is designated by mi.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A typewriter comprising a plurality of type-levers, an inclined segment block having slots for guiding the type-levers, a plurality of key-levers arranged in four rows and each having an arm carrying a key and an outswinging arm, a plurality of links for directly connecting each outswinging arm of. a key-lever without intermediate lever to the respective type-lever, and bearing means providing a guide slot and a fulcrum for each key lever, the fulcra being arranged in four parallel rows and situated in a common horizontal plane, and the guide slots being tilted with respect to the vertical plane, the angle of inclination of successive slots gradually increasing from the center towards both sides of the typewriter whereby successive key-levers are caused to swing in planes of gradually increased inclination towards the sides of the typewriter, the outswinging key-lever arms being bent off at a gradually increasing rate in the direction of the type-lever guiding slots from the center of the typewriter toward the two sides thereof, the different angles of bend of the outswinging key-lever arms depending on the inclination of the said segment block, the position of the respective planes of the said type-lever guiding slots, and the position of the respective planes of swing of the appurtenant key-levers, such that the ends of the outswinging key-lever arms move in the respective planes of the appurtenant type-lever guiding slots.

2. A typewriter comprising a plurality of typelevers, an inclined segment block having slots for guiding the type-levers, a plurality of keylevers arranged in four rows and each having an arm carrying a key and an outswinging arm, a plurality of links for directly connecting each outswinging arm of a key-lever without intermediate lever to the respective type lever, the said type-levers from the center of the typewriter toward the two sides being of increasing length, a wire arranged. in the segment block for hearing the type-levers and curved according to the increasing length of the type-levers, and bearing means providing a guide slot and a fulcrum for each key-lever, the fulcra being arranged in four parallel rows and situated in a common horizontal plane and the guide slots being tilted with respect to the vertical plane, the angle of inclination of successive slots gradually increasing from the center towards both sides of the typewriter whereby successive keylevers are caused to swing in planes of gradually increased inclination towards the sides of the typewriter, and the outswinging key-lever arms being bent off at a gradually increasing rate in the direction of the type-lever guiding slots from the center of the machine toward the two sides thereof, the different angles of bend of the outswinging key-lever arms depending on the inclination of the said segment block, the position of the respective planes of the said typelever guiding slots, and the position of the respective planes of swing of the appurtenant keylevers, such that the ends of the outswinging key-lever arms move in the respective planes of the appurtenant type-lever guiding slots.

o'r'ro HAAS. TONY SCI-IAEDLER LEON SCHNEIDER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

